If you are on-target, a gun could be the No. 1 gift for the outdoor-lover in your life.
A hot spot at the holidays is Van Wyck Sporting Goods, located at 5219 Old Hickory Road in Van Wyck. The store carries a large selection of rifles and handguns as well as the Uncle Henry line of knives.
“A lot of people want to upgrade their guns and scopes, and it makes for a great Christmas gift,” said Tommy Foster, who manages the store with his brother, Roger.

Toys from the movies “Star Wars,” “Frozen,” “Minions” and “Jurassic World” are covering the shelves at local stores and are projected favorites for kids this year.
It’s the most wonderful time of year for retailers as holiday spending is expected to reach a new average high of $805.65 per person on food items, decorations, gifts and more, up from $802.45 in 2014, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

Shopping is a big part of the holiday season, when families and friends gather to reconnect and exchange gifts. The benefits of shopping locally go beyond convenience and the chance to reduce your carbon footprint. Shopping locally this holiday season can directly benefit your community and the people who call it home.

It was a day of triumph and celebration as about 300 people – family, friends and members of the Indian Land community – gathered at the nearly completed Lodge, a new amenity center in Sun City Carolina Lakes, to pay a special tribute to the community’s World War II veterans.
The Oct. 6 ceremony and dedication of the display to honor all Sun City Carolina Lakes veterans was two years in the making.

This is a story of an airplane, one of three, in my opinion, of the most used aircraft in the U.S. military. The first two are the B-52, called the BUFF, and the DC-3/C-47, the Gooney Bird or “Puff, the Magic Dragon” as it was known during the Vietnam War.
My story is about the C-130 “Hercules” and one mission.

In honor of our veterans today, I am going to share with you a military-style workout so you can get in great shape and get a taste of a soldier's routine.
This will give you a small idea of how hard they work for us. I have been around many veterans in my day, and what I notice about most is no matter whether they are active duty, reserve or retired, they have adopted the habit of still being early birds. Many scientific studies have shown that rising early has lots of health and fitness benefits.

Charles M. Blackwelder’s family found the small tin box in his Indian Land home after the World War II Marine veteran died last March.
It contained a photo of a Japanese soldier, two books printed in Japanese and a small journal. Each item was stamped “EXAMINED IN THE FIELD – PASSED BY JOINT INTELLIGENCE.”
The journal’s first seven pages were written in Japanese, but the next 13 were in English with the heading “Dear Diary.”

KERSHAW – Some military heroes coach youth ball teams, are church ushers and even bag groceries, with few outside their immediate families ever aware of their actions.
That’s especially true of Vietnam-era veterans who just don’t talk about their service, while their military records remain relatively unknown.
When it comes to talking about Vietnam, Robert Brasington was like many of his fellow servicemen.

There is a change underway in some hospitals around the country where, increasingly, the arts are used as an important healing tool.
At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, patients receiving art, music or dance therapy have more than tripled since 2010. Nearly 10,000 patients received such treatment in 2014, according to the hospital.
Nicole Albers, a Children's Hospital art therapist, said it's amazing to work with patients and watch their pain disappear over the course of a therapy session.

If I told you the music of John Williams had a profound impact on not only my life, but yours as well, would you agree?
Probably not.
Instead you’d probably ask, “Who’s John Williams?”
Here’s a clue, and sing along with me if you can.
Remember that primal, two-note score from the movie “Jaws,” the one that goes “dunnn dun, dunnn dun, dunnn dun” and is usually followed with a late-night swimmer or inebriated teenager meeting their watery fate?

It was late on a Wednesday evening, about four months ago, when Janice Steele and her 43-year-old special-needs daughter Terri Ledbetter stopped in at Mane Street Hair Designers. Lisa Couch fixed Terri’s hair while owner Debbie Crenshaw worked with Janice.
As always, they joked around, laughed and danced. Debbie walked them out to their car. Sometime during the night, Terri, who loved music and was never seen without her Walkman, danced up the proverbial stairway to heaven.

Ashley Lowrimore
For The Lancaster News
After a devastating accident, Frances and Cecil Clifton leaned on faith, family, friends, and each other to overcome an unimaginable prognosis.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25 1993, the couple, both newly-retired from Springs’ bleachery, stopped to visit at Frances’ mother’s house. While outside, Cecil climbed up a pecan tree so that he could shake pecans loose for the ladies to gather up from the ground.

A group of local quilters are looking to add to their ranks in a national grassroots community service effort to make quilts for active military and veterans as a thank you for their service.
The Piecemakers Quilting Guild meets the second Monday of each month at Heath Springs Baptist Church in Heath Springs and has made Quilts of Valor a service project for the last two years. Together, the ladies have made close to 100 quilts.

Nancy ParsonsLandmark News Services
The rain did not stop a group of eager people from hopping aboard one of two pontoon boats to travel from the Debutary Creek access area to Stumpy Pond in August.
The boaters, members of the Great Falls Town Council and Great Falls Home Town Association, wanted to see the areas Duke Energy plans to focus on as part of recreational upgrades included in its relicensing agreement.

David Kellin
For The Lancaster News
Those who attended the annual horse show and family fun day at Horse N Around Saturday, Aug. 29, were treated to numerous activities, events and food under clear skies and comfortable temperatures.
Horse N Around, 2593 N. Rocky River Road, provides equine therapy to children with special challenges.
Several children got the opportunity to show their riding skills at the event.

From release
“Between the Springmaid Sheets,” an exhibit of works of art from legendary Col. Elliott Springs’ daring 1940s and 1950s ad campaign will be on view from Nov. 4 to Dec. 29 in Lancaster. The controversial campaign is credited with rescuing a struggling textile business and helping Springs Cotton Mills become a giant of the industry.

Dori and Dan Schaupp married 37 years ago and have had vegetable garden every year. At their home at 1310 Crestfield Drive, they faced a challenge. The backyard retained water when it rained and became marshy, making gardening next to impossible. Their solution was to create raised garden beds.
In 2004, they began with four raised beds with mainly vegetables and a small space for herbs. Over the years the number of beds has grown.